Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Soil Management

Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad is an Emeritus Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India. He has published over 219 papers and edited 34 books. He received a Doctorate in Botany from Lucknow University, India in 1979. Dr. Chitranjan Kumar (MSc Gold Medallist, NET, D.Phil.) is a faculty member of Amity University and a well-known international soil scientist in the field of phyto-bio-remediation/management of sewage-irrigated soils/organic fertigation.

• List of Contributors xvPreface xxiAbout the Editors xxv1 Soil Degradation: A Major Challenge in the Twenty- First Century 1Fábio Carvalho Nunes, Cláudia Cseko Nolasco de Carvalho, Lander de Jesus Alves, and Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad1.1 Introduction 11.2 Soil Degradation: Start and Consequences 41.3 Soil Protection, Conservation, and Recuperation Strategies 121.4 Challenges for the Twenty- First Century 141.5 Final Considerations 162 Degradation of Agriculture Systems by Invasive Alien Plants and Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Restoration 23Prabhat Kumar Rai2.1 Introduction 232.2 Agroecological Solutions 292.3 Biological Control Methods 332.4 Classical or Inoculative Biological Control 332.5 Allelopathy in Agroecosystems 342.6 Restoration and Carbon Sequestration Approaches in Agro/Ecosystem/ Forestry Systems 352.7 Conclusions 373 Soil Management for Carbon Sequestration 49Taoufik El Rasafi, Ahmed El Moukhtari, Ayoub Haouas, Anas Tallou, Wassila Bouta, Yassine Aallam, Soumia Amir, Hanane Hamdali, Mohamed Farissi, Abdelmajid Haddioui, and Abdallah Oukarroum3.1 Introduction 493.2 Agronomic Management Practices 503.3 Conclusion 574 Soil Degradation, Resilience, Restoration, and Sustainable Use 65Diana Cota- Ungson, Yolanda González- García, and Antonio Juárez- Maldonado4.1 Introduction 654.2 Impacts of Human Activity on Soil Degradation 664.3 Methods to Restore the Soil 694.4 Sustainable Use of the Soil 724.5 Conclusions 765 Organic Farming – a Sustainable Option to Reduce Soil Degradation 83Ana Paula Pinto, Jorge M.S. Faria, A. V. Dordio, and A. J. Palace Carvalho5.1 Introduction 835.2 Land Degradation–What Are we Doing to our Soil? 855.3 Organic Farming–An Environmentally Sustainable Trend Expanding Worldwide 895.4 Organic Farming and Soil Fertility 935.5 Conclusions 1156 Ecological Restoration of Degraded Soils Through Protective Afforestation 145Marcin Pietrzykowski, Bartłomiej Woś, and Marek Pająk6.1 Introduction 1456.2 The Importance of Reclamation for the Protection of Post- Mining Sites 1466.3 Soil Reconstruction in Varied Post- Mine Site Conditions 1486.4 Criteria for Assessing the Adaptation of Tree Species to the Conditions of Reclaimed Areas 1506.5 The Impact of Tree Species on Soil Properties 1556.6 Conclusion 1587 Biochar Applications for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Management 165Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad7.1 Introduction 1657.2 Resume of Biochar for Sustainable Soil Management 1667.3 Biochar Advantages for Sustainable Soil Management 1697.4 Feedstock for Production of Biochar 1707.5 Soil Carbon Storage/Sequestration 1717.6 Biochar Influence on Detoxification of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil 1747.7 Biochar Mitigates Salinity in Different Crop Fields 1777.8 Miscellaneous Benefits of Biochar for Soil Sustainability 1798 Restoring Ecosystems: Guidance from Agroecology for Sustainability in Thailand 201Woranan Nakbanpote, Pranee Srihaban, Wutthisat Chokkuea, Winya Dungkaew, Uraiwan Taya, Piyanutt Khanema, Ruttanakorn Munjit, Ponlakit Jitto, Piyapatr Busababodhin, Surasak Khankhum, Khanitta Somtrakoon, and Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad8.1 Introduction 2018.2 Importance of Agricultural Strategy and Ecological Restoration in Thailand 2028.3 Management of Thailand’s Restoration of Agricultural Areas 2048.4 Special Cases of Restoration and Sustainable Agriculture in Thailand 2138.5 Conclusions 2249 Emergy Approach to the Sustainable Use of Ecosystems toward Better Land Management 231Joana Marinheiro, Ana Fonseca, João Serra, and Cláudia Marques- dos- Santos9.1 Introduction 2319.2 Emergy Methodology 2329.3 Review Methodology 2339.4 Mixed Farming 2359.5 Emergy Applied to Mixed Farming 2359.6 Emergy Indices and Scope Widening 2369.7 Main Findings and Gaps in Literature 2419.8 Future Advises 24210 Agroecological Transformation for Sustainable Food Systems 247Ayoub Haouas, Anas Tallou, Soumia Amir, Abdelmajid Haddioui, Abdallah Oukarroum, and Taoufik El Rasafi10.1 Introduction 24710.2 Agroecology 24810.3 Agroecological Approaches 25210.4 Limits 25510.5 Prospects 25510.6 Conclusion 25611 Alternative Production Systems ("Roof- Top," Vertical, Hydroponic, and Aeroponic Farming) 261Ágnes Szepesi11.1 Introduction 26111.2 Rooftop Farming/Agriculture (RA) and Vertical Farming 26211.3 Hydroponic Farming 26811.4 Aeroponic Farming 27011.5 Future Perspectives 27012 Regaining the Essential Ecosystem Services in Degraded Lands 277V. Girijaveni, K. Sammi Reddy, J.V.N.S. Prasad, V.K. Singh, and Chitranjan Kumar12.1 Introduction 27712.2 Soil and Water Conservation Techniques 27912.3 Soil Management 28012.4 Loose Boulder/Stone/Masonry Check Dams/Brushwood Check Dams 28312.5 Crop Management 28412.6 Soil Erosion Models for Quantification 28912.7 Integrated Nutrient Management to Address the Soil Degradation 29012.8 Improving Soil Ecosystem Services Through Soil Microorganisms 29213 Phytochemicals as an Eco- Friendly Source for Sustainable Management of Soil- Borne Plant Pathogens in Soil Ecosystem 303Shikha Tiwari, Nawal K. Dubey, and Chitranjan Kumar13.1 Introduction 30313.2 Soil- Borne Pathogens: Major Threat to Agroecosystem 30513.3 Green Chemicals as Better Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides to Combat Soil- Borne Pests 30613.4 Nanoencapsulation as a Booster to Green Pesticides 30913.5 Conclusion 31314 Restoration of Saline Soils for Sustainable Crop Production 319Bülent OKUR, Nesrin ÖRÇEN, and Nur OKUR14.1 Introduction 31914.2 Characteristics of Saline Soils 32014.3 Impact of Soil Salinization on Plant Growth 32214.4 Restoration of Saline Soils 32714.5 Conclusion 33215 Conservation Agriculture as Sustainable and Smart Soil Management: When Food Systems Meet Sustainability 339Rachid Mrabet, Akashdeep Singh, and Tarun Sharma15.1 Introduction: Challenging A “Global Syndemic” 33915.2 Conservation Agriculture: Exploring Concept, Objectives, and Ambitions 34015.3 Harnessing Soil Functioning under Conservation Agriculture 34115.4 Food Security Under Conservation Agriculture: From Farm to Fork 34515.5 CA Systems as Drivers for Social Development and Economic Growth 34615.6 Challenges and Socio- Economic Barriers for CA Adoption 34715.7 Conclusion: Bridging and Bonding CA Science and Policy 34816 The Ecology of Intercropping Systems, Tree- Cover Dynamics of Grazing Lands, and Cover Crops for Soil Management 357Chitranjan Kumar, Anil K. Singh , Deepak R. Joshi, and David E. Clay16.1 Introduction 35716.2 Intercropping Systems 35816.3 Sustainable Forest Management 36016.4 Cover Crops for Sustainable Soil Management 36216.5 Conclusion 36517 Strategies for Restoration and Utilization of Degraded Lands for Sustainable Oil Palm Plantation and Industry 373Ronny Purwadi, Sanggono Adisasmito, Daniel Pramudita, and Antonius Indarto17.1 Introduction 37317.2 Palm Oil Plantations: Characteristics and Issues 37617.3 Degraded Land: Definition and Rehabilitation Efforts 38017.4 Operation Strategies 38717.5 Challenges and Opportunities 40017.6 Conclusion 40318 Reclaiming Urban Brownfields and Industrial Areas–Potentials for Agroecology 409Petra Schneider, Tino Fauk, and Florin- Constantin Mihai18.1 Introduction 40918.2 Characterizing Urban Brownfields and Industrial Areas 41018.3 After Use Options for Urban Brownfields and Industrial Areas 41718.4 Role of Soil Management 42418.5 Potentials for Agroecology 42518.6 Conclusions 43118.7 Outlook 43219 Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria Sustaining Saline and Metal Contaminated Soils 437Chitranjan Kumar, Ajay Tomar, Sangeeta Pandey, and Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad19.1 Introduction 43719.2 PGPR: Modes of Action to Improve Plant Growth 43819.3 Molecular Characterization of PGPRs 43819.4 PGPR: A Competent, Facultative, and Intracellular Microorganism 43919.5 Signal Exchange between PGPRs and Root Hairs 44019.6 Ammonia Production 44219.7 Production of IAA and HCN 44219.8 Solubilization of Nutrients (P, K, Ca, Zn, and Mg) 44319.9 Siderophore Production 44319.10 The Phenomenon of Antagonism and Hyperparasitism 44419.11 Alleviation of Metal Stress 44519.12 Assessment of Plant Growth- Promoting Activities 44619.13 Assessment of Bacterial Reactions to Heavy Metals 44819.14 Conclusion 44920 Internet of Things (IoT) in Soil Management for Achieving Smart Agriculture 457Amir Parnian, Mehdi Mahbod, Chanchal K. Mitra, Hossein Beyrami, and Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad20.1 Introduction 45720.2 Sensors and Data in IoT- Based Systems 46420.3 The Data 46720.4 IoT in Agriculture 46720.5 IoT in Soil Science 46920.6 IoT Parts: Soil Sensors and Parameter Monitoring with IoT- Linked Sensors 46920.7 A Better Understanding of Soil Conditions (Fertility, Degradation, Irrigation, Detection of Soil- Borne Diseases, etc.) 47320.8 The Future Role of IoT in Smart Agriculture 47520.9 Technology in Advanced Farming 47620.10 Risks of IoT in Land Management and Food Security 47920.11 Conclusion 480References 480Index 487